Help wanted: Lifeguards on the beach

About 80 people tryout for the Huntington Beach Marine Safety Division Ocean Lifeguard tryouts a few years ago. Try outs are coming up for various lifeguard agencies along the coast. FILE: STARR BUCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Did you know?

Reality shows focusing on Orange County lifeguards in past years like "Ocean Force" in Huntington Beach and new ones like "Lifeguard! Southern California" with segments from Huntington and Newport show viewers what Orange County lifeguards deal with during busy summer months. After the popular show Ocean Force aired a few years ago, the number of lifeguards who showed up for tryouts in Huntington Beach spiked, lifeguards said.

Proud moment:

Peter Hamborg, father of the Hamborg boys, said one of his proudest moments was when son Chapman came home after a day at work, telling of a rescue on the north side of the pier. Two men who had been drinking got pulled far out in a rip current, and Chapman had to swim with the two guys on his one buoy out of the current for about 20 minutes. With other rescues happening, he was on his own to save the men's lives.

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The pressure is on for Moses Hamborg, the youngest of five sons who make up the Huntington Beach clan.

Gus Hamborg, the oldest at 24, has served as a Huntington City Beach seasonal lifeguard for years. Anders, 22, followed his older brother's footsteps and made the cut. Brother Chapman, the 20-year-old artistic son, passed the testing for a summer job, and then Jachin, 19, joined the list of summer cadets.

"Honestly, I'm nervous ... If I don't make it, I'll be pretty embarrassed," said Moses, 17, with a chuckle. "They've all gone through it, and know it's super hard. I'm the last brother – I have to go big."

Moses Hamborg is just one of hundreds of aspiring seasonal lifeguards whose nerves will be on edge in coming weeks as tryouts for summer lifeguard jobs get underway along Orange County's 42 miles of coastline, where applicants will risk hypothermia in chilly mid-50 degree water, along with exhaustion as they sprint on the sand during the early morning testing. Laguna Beach kicks off the testing this Saturday, and the last to hold tryouts will be Seal Beach on April 14.

Lifeguarding at one of the county's beaches during summer months is often viewed as the quintessential California dream, especially for youngsters hoping to score their first job: basking in the sun with the waves crashing in the horizon, while girls in bikinis lounge on the beach getting tans and surfers stroll by with their boards after taking on waves.

That perception couldn't be further from the truth, said Huntington City Lifeguard Lt. Mike Baumgartner.

"That's the stereotype that lifeguards are young people who sit in a tower, get a tan and watch the girls as they walk by. It's anything but that," said Baumgartner. "A lot of times they don't realize the stress level and how difficult it is to stay vigilant the entire shift, while everyone is recreating around you. You have to be constantly aware of what is going on around you. You truly are dealing with life and death situations."

Anywhere from 100 to 150 people will show up during Huntington's tryouts to fill about 15-20 seasonal positions open for new recruits. Returning guards get first dibs on open positions, and also do less intensive, re-qualifying testing.

"It's a job that is rewarding in and of itself, but it is also compatible as a career for students in college," Baumgartner said. "As the job market is tight, there are plenty of people after college having a hard time finding a job. Once you're hired and in good standing, you have a job the next year."

For Baumgartner, a seasonal job ended up as a career. He first got his job as a seasonal lifeguard in the city at 16 in 1981 to help pay for his education. He worked for nine years as a part-time employee before he was able to land a full-time, permanent position.

"It became a passion and love, and that turned into a career I find very rewarding," he said.

Newport Beach also gets a high number of aspiring guards each year, anywhere from 80 to 150 applicants depending on the economy, said Brent Jacobsen, lifeguard battalion chief. Newport typically brings in anywhere from 10 to 25 new hires, depending on how many returning guards decide to come back.

The first thing applicants need to know is what the testing is like, he said. Some people train in swimming pools, and think they will be strong in the ocean swim portion of the test.

"The water temp is 54 degrees. Jumping in the water without a wetsuit – it can really shock you," he said. "Hypothermia can set in quickly. That's one thing they can expect that people don't anticipate."

Doing well on the physical testing doesn't guarantee a job. They must complete more than 100 hours of training, and depending on how they do, they may be offered a job based on what is available.

When they first get on the job, they'll be shadowing more experienced guards, and learn that lifeguarding isn't just about response, but also about customer service, Jacobsen said.

"They become ambassadors of the city," he said. "They could encounter 100,000 people, some asking questions like "where's the bathroom" or "where's the best place to eat."

At the same time they have to be rule enforcers, and manage the various people all coming to one location for various interests: surfers, bodysurfers, fishermen, boaters.

"You become a manager of this scarce resource and try to make sure it is used in a way to safely maximize the benefits of everybody," he said.

Related Links

About 80 people tryout for the Huntington Beach Marine Safety Division Ocean Lifeguard tryouts a few years ago. Try outs are coming up for various lifeguard agencies along the coast. FILE: STARR BUCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Moses Hamborg is the youngest and last of five boys in his family to do the seasonal lifeguard tryouts in Huntington Beach in early March. The pressure is on for the 17-year-old, who grew up doing junior lifeguards. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The five Hamborg brothers, of Huntington Beach, could all be working together this summer if youngest Moses, 17, makes the cut. From left to right: Moses, 17, Gus, 24, Jachin, 19, Chapman, 20, Anders, 22. All Hamborg brothers have the lifeguard patch on their red trunks, except youngest Moses. PHOTO COURTESY OF PETER HAMBORG
Moses Hamborg is the youngest and last of five boys in his family to do the seasonal lifeguard tryouts in Huntington Beach in early March. The pressure is on for the 17-year- old, who grew up doing junior lifeguards. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Moses Hamborg works his arms with a Hamboard near Huntington Beach Pier Monday. He is the youngest and last of five boys in his family to do the upcoming seasonal lifeguard tryouts in Huntington Beach, coming up early March. The pressure is on for the 17 year old, who grew up doing junior lifeguards. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Moses Hamborg jogs along the surf in Huntington Beach, near the pier, Monday. He is the youngest and last of five boys in his family to do the seasonal lifeguard tryouts in Huntington Beach in early March. The pressure is on for the 17-year-old, who grew up doing junior lifeguards. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Moses Hamborg watches the sunset in Huntington Beach, near the pier, Monday. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Moses Hamborg is the youngest and last of five boys in his family to do the upcoming seasonal lifeguard tryouts in Huntington Beach in early March. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Moses Hamborg walks along the beach with his Hamboard in, near the Huntington Beach Pier, Monday. He is the youngest and last of five boys in his family to do the upcoming seasonal lifeguard tryouts in Huntington Beach, coming up early March. The pressure is on for the 17 year old, who grew up doing junior lifeguards. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Runners gun it at the start of lifeguard tryouts in Huntington Beach where 66 applicants were tested. MINDY SCHAUER, FILE: ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Participants in the Newport Beach lifeguard tryouts approach the end of the first stretch of running before entering the water a few years back during tryouts for seasonal guards. MIGUEL VASCONCELLOS, FILE
About 70 swimmers line up for the first leg of the Huntington Beach Lifeguard tryouts. MINDY SCHAUER, FILE: ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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